Sunday, September 26, 2010

Project Food Blog #2- Chilaquilas: Classic, Comfort Food

A giant thank you to those who voted for me in Round 1 of Project Food Blog. Whether you voted because you liked the post or just felt bad that I was a horribly nerdy-looking child with pink flying-saucer glasses, know that I am forever indebted to you. I will never ask you for anything again. Oh, except your vote for Round 2. In Round 2, contestants are required to make a classic dish from another culture. You can vote for me by clicking "Vote For This Entry" on this page

My friend Betulia's dad told me I am his hero for making chilaquileson national television. That coming from a man who came from Mexico with nothing in his pockets and built a life for his family in the U.S. He ensured his children got a good education and became self-sufficient, contributing members of society. The last time I saw B's dad, he was wearing a baseball cap at a fourth of July BBQ, and ribbing his kids about when they were going to make him a grandfather. I was comforted to know the quest for grand-parenthood transcends ethnicities. He looked relaxed and content. He had clearly succeeded. If anyone's the hero, it's him. In talking chilaquiles, he said they have been a source of consistency throughout his life. His grandmother made them when he was younger, he made them when he was a bachelor, and his wife makes them on the rare occasion that he successfully convinces her that the doctor is wrong about his cholesterol. I tried to remind him that my version of chilaquiles got me kicked off of MasterChef but he didn't care. He was just glad I chose to honor the dish he grew up eating.

Chilaquiles, derived from the word for "broken-up, old sombrero," are popular all the way from the U.S. border, through to Mexico, and down to Guatemala because they're a good way to use stale tortillas. Regional variations abound. In Sinaloa, Mexico, they are topped with a white sauce and in cosmopolitan Mexico City, they are served with a deep, roasted red salsa. And in late summer (like now!), when the tomatillos are ripe for the picking, chilaquiles verde is the dish of choice.

I couldn't help but think about B's dad and what his favorite dish meant months later when I found myself standing on the side of the road, eating a plate of steaming hot chilaquiles, served on a flimsy paper plate and prepared by a woman oddly reminiscent of my grandmother (if my grandmother barked orders in Spanish and ran a shiny food truck with a ruthless efficiency that would put the Soup Nazi to shame). It's a strangely communal experience standing with mothers pushing strollers, construction workers in hard hats, and businessmen with briefcases, eating a dish that is unpretentious, uncomplicated, and down right delicious.

That's when I realized there's something special about this humble Mexican dish of leftover tortillas, eggs, and salsa. At first glance, it seems rather simple. Fried tortillas soaked in salsa, topped with eggs, salsa, cheese and sour cream. In times of plenty, it's served with poached, shredded chicken. In times of naught, the chicken is replaced by refried beans. But either way, it's a dish designed to bring a family to the table so they can eat a warm, nutritious meal together even when times are tough. And that's where I went wrong on MasterChef. I took the quintessential, Mexican comfort food and crazily tried to make it sophisticated.

So this time, I decided to make chilaquiles verde like the Mexican classic they are. Corn tortillas, creamy scrambled eggs, homemade tomatillo salsa, and homemade Mexican crema. While frying the tortilla wedges into crunchy chips, I recognized that although the components on their own are not particularly spectacular, something about combining them in one dish is uber-spectacular. And then I had to fry another batch of chips because well, I ate the first batch with salsa verde during my period of introspection. The true magic of the dish hit me once I finally managed to stop eating the chips and salsa and actually plate the dish. The tortillas absorb the bright flavors of the salsa while retaining the right amount of crunch, the scrambled eggs provide a creamy contrast, and the crema cools an otherwise caliente dish.

Sunday morning, the hubster and I sat down to a brunch of classic, Mexican comfort food. And I knew B's dad was proud.

Heat oil and fry tortilla wedges until golden. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Heat salsa in a skillet and add tortilla wedges. While tortillas are softening, heat oil in another pan and scramble eggs. Remove tortillas from heat once they are soaked with salsa but still retain some crunch. Top with scrambled eggs, more salsa, crema and cilantro.

oh my gosh, I love this story and I LOVE that last picture - it says it all! I was thrilled to vote for you in round one and hope these chilaquilas get you to round 2 and that gordon ramsey realizes what a mistake he made! :)

What a cute picture of B's dad :-) I love chilaquiles, btw. I used to get them at Eatzi's in downtown Dallas and it was the guy who worked behind the counter's personal recipe. Yummy! Love your posting and will def vote for you when voting opens tomorrow.

PS, I didn't realize you were on MasterChef! I'm considering trying out next year but wasn't sure. Will have to get your thoughts on your experience later.

that looks amazing! I love the concept of chilaquiles and have definitely made several variations of them! Mostly erring on the side of Migas! haha.And- tomatillo salsa is my FAVORITE. I have some Herdez brand in the fridge right now- it is so good, but obviously not as good as homemade. I used to work at Moes Southwest Grill and their tomatillo salsa is just amazing :)I am going to vote for you again!PS- do you know why we have so many votes to give out when we can only vote once?

Isn't it crazy where we draw inspiration from? B's dad sounds like a very inspiring individual! I am always amazed at people (like our parents) who came to this country with nothing and made so much of themselves.

I said it before and I'll say it again - your MasterChef dish looked 100 x better than anything that has come out of my kitchen.

Oh baby this post totally rocks! I have already read 2 Mexican posts for the second round up (one is urs)and I'm loving them BOTH. My only problem is finding tomatillos can be so hard here and I just can't substitute it.

Love this post and the story! I'm partial to my mother-in-laws recipe though, only cause then I don't have to make it. Will be back to vote for sure! It's always a pleasure reading your posts. Good Luck.-Gina-

This looks wonderful. Y'know, I was just saying to somebody else the other day how jealous I am that you guys get tomatillos - I don't think I've even ever had a tomatillo and they look so awesome! Sad times indeed. But happy times for you if you get to cook awesome food like this, and a good story behind it all too ;)

If it's good enough for Papa B (as I'm now calling him) then it's sure as heck good enough for everybody else!

Congrats on making it through to round #2 lady, and here's to round #3!

I love chilaquiles! I've never made it myself but my sister married a Mexican man and she's learned how to make it. I think you did the humble, delicious dish justice and then some! I'll happily cast my vote for you tomorrow. :-)

What a great post. Your blog is always such a pleasure to read..I will be voting for you! I have tried this dish before, but I've never made it. Now I'm excited to give it a go! Thank you for sharing with us. I hope you have a lovely Monday morning!

yeay for round 2! :) this is the chilaquilas i WANT to taste. we have a Mexican restaurant here but their chilquiles is bleh. everytime you cook something, i always imagine that huge hug Gordon R. gave you on Master Chef and think, "man, when will i be able to taste what she cooks?" :P lovely entry and can't say anything but all the best til round 10 for ya!

congrats on making it to the next round! what a great post. i love hearing stories of immigrants (such as my family) who move to their dream country with nothing and build a whole new better life for themselves and their family.

this recipe looks and sounds like such comfort food. great entry for round #2. best of luck with the rest of the challenge.

i am a sucker for mexican food but sadly London has very few of them:(i am def trying this out as an appetiser for my next entertaining session..also can we just used tortilla chips instead of frying the whole wheat ones???

what a beautiful post! I love chilaquiles...they have to be one of my favorite Mexican dishes. And I think Gordon was totally wrong about sending you home for them on top chef. In my opinion, these sound awesome! I voted for you!

I think I'm going to start making this for breakfast. In a way, one could say you've given me reason to get out of bed in the morning. Can't wait to see what's in store. Definitely voting for you again!

What a great choice for round #2, Azmina - voted! I don't think there's anything wrong though with making comfort food sophisticated -- isn't that what Rick Bayless does on a daily basis? I wonder if Gordon would have kicked him off MasterChef too.... hmmm.

I recognize this dish! Great story and I love chilaquiles - you described what makes them a taste sensation perfectly! When I visit my brother in Dallas, I'll be contacting you for the name of that food truck :)

Can I just say that I love that there's a word for "broken up, old sombrero"? ;)

This looks fantastic! I somehow missed your first challenge (but I just read the post - I'm sorry for laughing at your childhood picture, and I'm digging the Descartes reference) but I'm glad you got through to the next round! I'm off to vote. <3

i don't know how i haven't come across your blog thus far - i love it! your post looks amazing, and i too, would have needed two batches of the chips and salsa - i can't get enough of that combo! would love to try your version. you have my vote!